The government and ruling party agreed to establish a new 'Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment' that integrates the energy functions of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The government described this reorganization as a step toward implementing consistent and strong carbon neutrality policies.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced the government reorganization plan after a high-level party meeting at the Government Seoul Building on the afternoon of the 7th. According to the reorganization plan, the Ministry of Environment will be expanded and reorganized into the 'Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment,' absorbing energy functions from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and a second vice minister.
Minister Yoon Ho-jung of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety stated during a briefing, "To actively promote carbon neutrality and energy transition, we will combine related functions of the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to establish a consistent policy implementation system." He noted, "Until now, there has been a perception that the functions between departments have been dispersed, making substantial coordination difficult," adding, "The new ministry will serve as a strong control tower."
However, functions directly related to resources industry and nuclear power exports will remain within the existing Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Accordingly, the name of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy will change to 'Ministry of Industry and Trade.'
This reorganization plan will also centralize climate-related resources under the new ministry. The climate response fund and green climate fund, previously governed by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, will be transferred to the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment to unify fund management. Additionally, the 2050 Carbon Neutral Green Growth Committee, under the Prime Minister, will be renamed to the 'Climate Crisis Response Committee' with enhanced functions.
The government aims to enhance policy efficiency for achieving the 2050 carbon neutrality goal and strengthen cooperation with the international community through this organizational restructuring.